Speed-governor



2Sheet sSheet 1.

(No Model.)

J.M0RT01 1, SPEED GOVERNOR No. 326,235. Patented Sept. 15, 1885.

INVENTOR. W I

WITNESSES.

N. PEI'ERS. PnowLima n hur. wzshin wn. D. C.

(No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet 2'.

J. MORTON.

SPEED GOVERNOR.

ept. 15, 1885 Patented S INVENTOR,

WITNESSES,

N. PETERS. Phutoliihcgrlpher, Wnhingw, ac

NITL'ED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES MORTON, OF NORWICH, CONNECTICUT.

SPEED-GOVERNOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 326,235, datedSeptember 15. 1885.

Application filed June 12, 1884. (N0 model.) 7

T0 at whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J AMES MORTON, of the city of Norwich, county of NewLondon, and State of Connecticut, have invented a certain new and usefulImprovement in Regulators for Water-\Vheels,which improvement is fullyset forth and described in the following specification, reference beinghad to the accompanying drawings.

My improvement relates to an attachment which may readily be applied tomost of the forms of regulators now in use, for the purpose of obtainingquicker action in and more perfect control of the mechanism which movesthe gate-shaft. This I accomplish by the use of an oil-filled cylinderand reservoir and apiston so connected with the regulating mechanism towhich they are attached that as the gateshaft is moved to raise or lowerthe gate said oilfilled cylinder and piston act to check the m0- mentumof the gate-shaft and prevent it from passing the desiredstopping-point, as more fully described hereinafter.

My present improvement is shown as attached to a form of regulator knownas the Morton Regulator, patented January 29, 1884., No. 292,673. Inconstructing and operating said regulator I find atendency on the partof the gate-shaft to travel past the desired stopping-point, (as abovestated) and in consequence more time is required for the wheel,

to settle down to its normal speed than would be necessary if thegate-shaft could be checked when it had adjusted the gate to admit theproper volume of water to the wheel.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure l is a side elevation of aregulatorhaving my present invention properly attached. Fig. 2 is an .elevationfrom the end where my new device is located, a part of thedriving-pulley being cut away to show more clearly the relativearrangement andlocation of the new parts. Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional view taken on line a: m, Fig. 2, of my oil cylinder andreservoir,

showing the openings through which the oil flows from the reservoir tothe cylinder, or from the cylinder to the reservoir, as the case may be.It also shows the screw by means of which said flow of oil can beregulated to cause it to act slower or quicker, as desired. Fig. 4 is atop or plan view of the oil-cylinder with piston in place and with coverremoved. Fig.

5 is a vertical section of Fig. 4 taken on line v3 '5. Fig. 6 is a viewof the inner side of cylinder-head P, showing also a valve which admitsthe supply of oil, but prevents said oil from escaping through the sameorifice. The valve in Fig. 6 is shown as closed. Fig. 7 shows said valveas opened to admit asupply of oil. The dotted lines in Figs. 6 and 7show the relative location of the oil-reservoir and the openings throughwhich the oil enters and leaves the cylinder.

The operation of the regulator proper may be described, in generalterms, as follows:

A represents a base having secured to it uprights B B, said base anduprights being of said mechanism to clutch the central shaft, C,

causing it to rotate until the friction is removed.

By the system of gears F G H I J H the disks E E are kept in constantmotion and forced to rotate in opposite directions.

To provide a convenient means for producing the requisite degree offriction to cause the clutches to act at the proper instant, I havearranged a rock-shaft, K, which also finds bearings in B B, and hassecured to it arms L L, one above the other below the plane of saidrock-shaft.

At a point immediately below the fly-ball governor is a lever-arm, N,whose free end is secured to the lower end of the governor-rod a, theother end, being secured rigidly to rockshaft K. Thus it will be seenthat an increase of speed in the fly-ball governor will immediatelydepress rod a and lever-arm N. This movement brings the friction-arm Lin engageis then thrown into action,- rotating shaft 0, which motionslightly closes the wheel-gate. This reduces the volume of waterentering the wheel and brings the speed down to its normal rate.

Should the speed of the fly-ball governor be decreased the rod or israised, the arm L brought into engagement with E, and shaft acts toraise the wheel-gate, admitting a greater supply of water and bringingthe speed up again.

Having thus described in general terms the action of the regulatorasheretofore constructed, I will proceed to describe my new auxiliarydevice.

On the outer side of the upright B are projecting lugs c a, forminghearings for a rigid shaft, 2), on which my oil-filled cylinder Stravels when in use, said cylinder being constructed with lugs d d,drilled to fit loosely on shaft b. Projecting downward from and forminga solid part of the oil-cylinder S is an arm, 0,

tapped to fit a short horizontal shaft Q, said shalt being held by andadapted to rotate in bearings e e.

Fixed rigidly on the screw-shaft Q is a beveled gear, R, which engages acorresponding gear, R, on the end of shaft 0. It will now be evidentthat as shaft 0 rotates motion will be imparted to the screw-shaft Q andthe cylinder will travel on said screw-shaft.

Within the cylinder is apiston, T, having a piston-rod,U, whose outerend is pi voted to the free end of an arm, W, the lower end of said armbeing fixed rigidly to the end of rockshaft K. a

At a convenient point below the piston-rod is asecond rod,h, fixedrigidly at one end to the cylinder, its outer end being threaded toreceive nuts 70 k, and passing through a hole, 2*,

made for its reception in arm W.

The general appearance of the cylinder when complete is similar to thatof a steam-cylinder and steam-chest, the part m, which forms myoilreservoir, corresponding to said steamchest. The space m is filledwith oil and the cap or lid screwed tightly down.

Then the regulator is at rest, the piston remains near the middle of thecylinder, as in Fig. 5, and the supply of oil gradually finds its waydown through the openings n, filling the cylinder on either side of thepiston.

When the rock-shaft K is actuated by the flyball governor and shaft 0begins to rotate, the gears R R cause the cylinder to move slowly onscrew-shaft Q, and as the arm W prevents the piston from moving thecylinder must in consequence slide on said piston. This movement of thecylinder compresses the oil in one end before it can escape through thesmall orifice n, and as the cylinder continues to move it exerts anincreased power against the rocker-arm W and, finally, overcoming thepower of the fly-ball governor, releases the frictionarm from the diskand the gate-shaft stops. Thus the cushion of compressed oil in thecylinder checks the movement of the gate-shaft before the gate iscarried past the proper stopping-point, and the speed is brought back toits normal rate much quicker than if operated only by the ordinary formof governor. The quick action thus obtained also prevents an unnecessarywaste of water.

The flow of oil through n is timed and regulated by adjusting-screws 0so located immediately over at that when they are screwed down theirconical points enter the orifice and partly close it.

In cases where a quicker movement of the oil is desired, I provide ateither end of the cylinder a valve, fl, which allows the supply of oilto pass freely into the cylinder; but the instant the oil is compressedsaid valve closes and the oil is forced to find an exit through hole n.

It will be evident that liquids other than oil could be used in thecylinder and reservoir; but I prefer a good quality of sperm-oil, as itshows but little tendency to become ummy.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and wish to secure byLetters Patent- 1. In combination with the gate-operating shaft ofawater-wheel and clutch-disks revolving in opposite directions on saidshaft, asuitable governing device, by means of which said clutches arecaused to act at the proper time, and an oil-filled receptacle and apiston, said oil-filled receptacle and piston being so connected withthe gate-shaft and to the clutchoperating mechanism that it forms, whenin motion, a cushion of compressed oil and exerts a force against thegovernor proper for the purpose of releasing the clutch mechanism, asdescribed.

2. In combination with the gate-operating shaft, the clutch-disksconstantly rotating in opposite directions on said shaft, the rock-shaftcarrying friction-arms adapted (when operated by a fly-ball or othersuitable governor) to engage the clutch-disks, and a cylinder andoilfilled reservoir and piston, substantially as hereinbefore described,said cylinder being connected with the gateoperating shaft by beveledgears, and a screw-shaft, as at Q, and arranged to travel on saidscrew-shaft, and having screws 0 so located relative to the openings nwhich connect the cylinder and reservoir that as said screws areadvanced they partially close said openings for the purpose ofregulating and controlling the flow of oil, as described.

3. The combination,with the gate-operating shaft, and mechanism forautomatically moving saidshaft to open or close the wheel-gate, of anoil-filled reservoir and cylinder and a piston, all so connected withthe gate-operating shaft and its moving mechanism that when in actionacushion of compressed oil is formed, which acts against the force ofthe governor proper for the purpose of checking the movement of thegate-operating shaft at a desired point, substantially as described.

4. In combination with the shaft 0, the screwshaft Q, actuated by gearsR R, and an oilfilled reservoir and cylinder arranged to travel on saidscrew-shaft, said cylinder being provided with a suitable piston orplunger so connected with the mechanism which controls and moves theshaft 0 that the compressed oil in the traveling cylinder acts againstthe power of the fly ball govern or for the purpose of checking themovement of the gate-shaft, as described.

5. In combination with the shaft (3, the screwshaft Q, actuated by gearsR R, and aliquidfilled reservoir and cylinder arranged to travel on saidscrew-shaft, said cylinder being provided with a suitable piston orplunger, and with one or more openings, n, at each end, through whichthe liquidmay freely pass from the reservoir to the cylinder, or fromthe cyl- 15 JAMES MORTON.

Witnesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, WILLIAM T. CHAMBERLAIN.

